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RPlog:Personal Insights
Personal Insights Featuring: Leia, Mitali, Zorin, Siren, Luke Notes: The scene was going on before Leia arrived. Zorin does not himself comment any further on the issue of Danik. Its a highly personal issue for many, and the Kel Dor himself does not actually hold an opinon of his own. The associated emotions with deeply held opinions and the likliehood of someone disagreeing would certainly disrupt anyone's center. As Mitali nears, Zorin Pol looks up and speaks idly, "There are always many visitors to the Temple .. though students themselves are always more likely." From Zorin's words, Siren can only assume that Mitali is a student. Gazing at the swinging package in his hand, she blinks. "Bloomin' Onion?" Comes the Commanders questioning gaze and raise of brow. The woman tilts her head just so and eyes it further before looking up at Mitali, "You are a padawan as well, how ...unexpected?" She says and then chirps in a soft laugh, "Forgive me, I am used to seeing robes and more austere clothing." She muses. "Bloomin' Onion," Mitali confirms, opting to come closer so that he can show Siren just what unholy culinary concoction he is referring to. He claims a bit of bench so that he can get his takeout bag open and open one of the small containers held inside, and holds it up. It... was probably an onion, once. Now it is breaded, fried, and comes with spicy dip. "No offense taken, I promise," Mitali adds, smiling lopsidedly up at Siren and inclining his head. "I've just never felt right in flowing clothing. Gets caught in machinery too easy, in my experience, and I was a tech long before I wound up here." He shifts his grip on his food so that he can offer up a hand. "Javin Mitali." This must be the little brother that Lt. Cmdr. Naja Mitali, the Deck Boss over on the /Independence/, so frequently mentions. "Nice'a meet you." A stately woman approaches along the grounds, a familiar face to most people in the Republic and Empire, unless one lived under a rather large rock. Leia Organa Solo walks lightly, a pleasant expression on her face. It seems she has no pressing business, because her gait is more properly termed a 'stroll', hands in the pockets of her steel-blue sleeveless jacket. Her walk takes her near Zorin, Mitali, and Siren, and she pauses, her gaze on Mitali longest. "Hello there," she greets them kindly and equally. "Welcome back," she adds to the formerly missing padawan, tilting her head in a nod to him. A brow lifts as she eyes the 'entity' displayed before her in the form of something that was vegetable-esque at some given point during its existence. The crinkled and deep fried covering causes her stomach to churn a bit. "What in the galaxy?" She questions rhetorically before her nose wrinkles. She leans in to take a sniff and her brows lift further. "What exactly do you call that again? And is it actually edible or you attempting to trick me?" She questions the padawan before looking up to Leia. "Chief." She says, losing some of her casual look. Zorin never got the opportunity to really enjoy most foods enjoyed by other species. The prospect of eating it in an oxygen free environment seemed far too difficult to manage, so the Kel Dor simply stick with his own nutrition strategies that don't require him to remove the antiox mask. He's sure whatever it is Mitali is offering would probably be repulsive anyways." When Leia approaches the Kel Dor bows his head respectfully. Luke Skywalker comes walking around the side of the Temple. He is with Uklaih Zandura, one of the other Jedi Masters who sit on the Jedi Council. The two of them are wearing their Jedi robes, and seem to be talking in quiet undertones with each other. As they come closer to earshot of the others, the two share a snickering laugh. "No trick! It may not look like much, but it's really very good, I promise," Mitali laughs, smiling lopsidedly at Siren. He leaves the little container of 'food' extended towards her before he realizes they've been joined by another. Looking up at the greeting, he very nearly squeaks in surprise and looks a bit sheepish for it, bowing his head politely to Leia. "Evening, Your Highness - and thank you," he smiles. He considers for a moment, glancing at Siren out of the corner of his eye, before he slooooowly brings the food container around to offer to Leia instead. "Fresh from Dean's Dantooine Grill," he says invitingly, waggling his eyebrows. Leia chuckles as Siren gets a bit less casual, and she waves that off with a slight gesture. "We're all friends here, there's no call for salutes or anything." And then after politely returning Zorin's head-bow with a half-bow of her own, she looks around at the grounds, her dark eyes picking out where damages were reported from the mind control attack on the Temple." Her brows furrow briefly, and a sorrowful expression crosses her features, but only for a few moments. "And what is /that/?" she asks of Mitali, peering at the bag. "Is it safe?" She watches the onion move on and its as if a spell is lifted. She blinks and looks at Mitali anew. "Wait a moment, are you the kid brother of Lieutenant Commander Naja Mitali?" She intones in question, her hand slowly seeking out a piece of the onion, "Let me try that ma'am, to see if its safe, we don't need you in peril." She winks and for a moment hesitates at her own decision. Turning the flaked piece of onion in her hand, she pops it into her mouth and crunches it around beneath her teeth. At first her wary expression stays and slowly there is a quizzative considering look that takes over her coutenance. "Mmmmmm" She swallows and places a hand to her lips, "Not bad.." She winks at Zorin and then realizes he might not be able to take part. The chuckle between Luke and Zandura seems short-lived, though, and Luke is the first to notice a collection of friends elsewhere on the grounds. He motions toward them, and following a nod from Zandura, he heads their way. "I hope we're not intruding?" he calls out, eyeing first his sister with a warm grin, before letting his eyes glance at each of the others in turn. Pulling up, Zandura offers one of his signature smirks, the left edge of his mouth turning up higher than the other. "Aw, don't listen to 'im. He'd stick his nose in a steamin' pile 'a gooberfish larvae an' they'd squirm to attention." "Master Skywalker, Master Zandura." Zorin dips his head again. Out of all the young Jedi, the Kel Dor probably has the firmest stick up his .. well .. you know. Always proper, prim and respectful it would be incredible to learn just exactly how rash the padawan is. "I believe they're experimenting with some kind of delicacy, from what I gather." Zorin Pol's goggled gaze returns to the substance that Mitali seems to be trying to feed everybody. At first glance you would assume Zorin to be amongst the most boring individuals in the world. He remains silent unless spoken to, not having much to add to the madness of the strange breaded onion thing. Leia nods to Siren gravely, letting her try the onion before reaching for a slice herself. Then even before her brother's voice makes it to her ears, Leia turns her head in his direction. "Luke," she says, not speaking loud enough to be heard audibly, but of course he would know she's there. Hand poised over the takeaway bag, she asks Siren, "Will I survive having a bit?" she asks, although there's a twinkle in her brown eyes, obviously teasing. Without waiting for an answer, she does indeed filch a slice of the bloomin' onion and crunches on it. "That's quite good. Don't tell me what's in it, I don't want to know." And she half-bows to greet Master Zandura as well. "It's good to see you," she says to both newly-arrived Jedi. "It's just a breaded onion," Mitali laughs, waving his free hand at Leia. "I promise, it's a perfectly good appetizer... there, see?" He beams in vindication as Siren finally tries the snack and voices her approval, once again waggling the container towards the Chief of State in a wholly respectful manner. "It doesn't bite," he promises. "It's the dip that's really spicy." He looks up and cracks a broader smile when he sees the pair of approaching Masters, bowing his head politely towards them. "Not intruding anymore than I did, anyway, so I think you're both okay," Mitali assures them. With mention of the dip, she is still finishing off her last piece as she takes another slice deftly between her fingers. Lifting the greasy mess, she dips it into the sauce and lifts it, bringing it to her lips before she grins at the two new arrivals. She pops the piece of onion into her mouth with a short flare and then begins to muse over the taste sensations. Hmmming, she grins, "It's like Kiffarian spiced Jooms." She mmmmms and reaches for another piece. If Mitali is not careful,he may lose the whole thing! "Hello Master Skywalker.." The other she has yet to have met. "Breaded onion?" asks Zandura, who spares no effort in barging between Skywalker and the onion. He snatches a piece, and offers Luke a broad smirk. "Y'know. To make sure it's safe 'n all." Luke elbows Uklaih Zandura in the ribs firmly, his own grin broad and smirky in all its good humor. "It's nice to see you too, Leia," he quips, then nods his head to Siren. "Ona Rey." He reaches in after Uklaih, taking a piece and dipping it. "Javin, this looks like trouble in a basket." He plops it into his mouth, and after a taste, he offers a 'Mmmm' and tips his head in a complimentary manner. "Kiff'rian spiced Jooms!" Uklaih says, pointing at Siren. "Now /that's/ exactly it! Why, it tastes like some'n they'd'a whipped up back on m' home planet." Noticing that she's yet to greet him, Uklaih quickly wipes his hand off on his robe, showing absolutely no reverence for it, and offers his hand toward Siren with a toothy grin. "Uklaih Zandura. Former rebel, now a Jedi Coot hangin' round like a stray dog." Luke smirks at Zandura. "Don't let him fool you, Ona Rey. Uklaih is a Jedi Master and sits on the Council. He is both wise and powerful." Laughing, Mitali makes a there-you-go gesture with his free hand and offers the remains of his leftovers up to the trio now so eagerly picking at them. "Help yourselves! But you're not getting my steak," he adds in a more serious tone, protectivley grabbing the rest of his takeout bag. "I do need /something/ to eat for dinner." After a pause, though, he offers Master Zandura a bright grin. "Though I might be willing to give you some of the fries, in gratitude for the lightsaber," he adds cheerfully, his eyes briefly flicking towards Luke. Licking her lips, she makes sure to attempt to steal another piece of the onion as the Jedi Master comments on the Jooms. She grins at this and is caught with onion in hand as he extends his own. She blinks a few times and swtiches her hold, reaching her hand out as well to take his. "A pleasure, I am Ona Rei Delamont.." She says, no titles really needed here. "Someday we should see what else you know of Kiffarian delacies, my grandmother would be proud to know others enjoy them." She winks to this, her hold firm before she releases his hand. She dips her piece into the sauce again and pops it into her mouth with relish. Gulping it down in no time, she nods to each in turn. "If you all will excuse me...I need to go see a certain man by the name of Vengan." She gives Luke a look before she says to the padawans and Zandura. "It was a pleasure to meet you all and to see you both again." She states to Leia and Luke before starting for the temple. "Till we meet again." She hurries her steps. Leia pouts when she isn't quick enough to get a second slice of the onion, but it's a mild sort of thing. "I was coming to see you," she tells Luke, smiling fondly at the accent and mannerisms of the other Jedi Master, quite delighted at his behavior. However, Luke might sense that her visit isn't merely social, although her public behavior might make it seem so. "I'd like to hear about what happened from a first person perspective," she continues, gesturing to Siren and Zorin as well. "There's only so much a report can tell you." And as Siren makes her farewells, she nods gravely. "Whenever you have a moment, I'd be grateful to hear what you have to say about the battle." When Vengan's name comes up, Mitali looks for all the world like a puppy perking up its ears, the Mirialan leaning to one side so that he can peer inquisitively after Siren's retreating form. "I didn't realize she knew Ven," he murmurs quietly, quickly regaining his smile. He may still be a little behind on all of the details surrounding Captain Draelis' stay at the temple, but he's just pleased to see his old friend again - and if Vengan's made more friends while Mitali was gone, all the better! He brings his gaze back up to Leia in short order, though, sobering some and glancing between the two siblings. "I didn't see a lot," he admits, speaking up almost hesitantly, "But I'd be happy to tell you anything you want to know about what I did see. It was mostly the World Devastator thing and some repair work at the fortress, though." "I'd be very grateful for your input as well," Leia says to Mitali with a gentle nod. "Reports might mention the wider scope of things, and they're very important, but hearing what happened from someone who was there, especially if they might not have been one of the names listed in such a report, are also very important. It'll help me get a better understanding of what happened, and wat we can do next." Master Zandura, immediately humbled by Mitali's gratitude, bows his head soberly. "I hope it serves you well." Luke sobers as well when Siren walks off, and he bows his head humbly to her. "She knows him, yes," Luke says quietly. The intonation suggests that there is much more there, but he refrains from exposition, to defend Ona Rey's privacy. He looks at Leia next, and bows his head. "Many thing took place at Nak Shimor," he agrees. "We could go inside...?" Having been silent up until now, Zorin speaks. "I offered what I could with my report during the first assault on the shipyards. Though if you have any specific questions I would be more than happy to answer them." Something about Zorin's voice is strikingly monotonous. It may be the reverberation as it passes through the grill of his mask, but the Kel Dor doesn't sound too enthused, energetic or any adjective that would be indicitive of the near death experience he suffered at the hands of an Imperial sharpshooter. Zorin Pol touches his four fingerd hands together at the tips as he looks intently at Leia. "I'm sure it will, Master Zandura," Mitali smiles, mirroring the older Jedi's bow in respect. It probably looks a little comical, since he does so with take-out in both hands, but, it is the thought that counts. Which is precisely why he simply offers the remains of the fried onion treat to the Jedi Master before he stands, nodding in response to Luke, Leia and Zorin. "If you'd like, I'm certainly free." And even if he wasn't, he'd make himself so for this. "It's no hurry," Leia reminds them gently, and then nods to Luke's suggestion that they take it inside. "Any insight may be useful," she adds to Zorin gratefully. "Thank you." And the sight of Mitali bowing with takeout in hand is enough to cause her to smile, although she does try to stifle it somewhat. "Inside is fine, Luke, lead the way." A graceful gesture invites her elder brother to choose their path. "Awww, hell." Uklaih reaches over and takes the remaining two pieces of Mitali's onion, and offers the youngster a smug grin. "I guess that'll do for repayment." He grins slyly before popping a piece in his mouth. "We'll go to the Solarium," Luke suggests, then leads the way into the temple. Solarium - Ord Mantell This is the only room in the temple that isn't wired for illumination. Curving lazily around the back end of the temple, it seems that the entire front end of the room is nothing more than a giant sheet of transparisteel, geared toward letting in as much natural light as possible. Glimmering off to the northeast is the Antilles Sea, sunlight making the waters glisten brightly as tidal currents kicks up a few waves and ripples across its surface. A few clouds can be seen scudding off near the horizon, but the warmth of the Bright Jewel can clearly be felt, drenching the room in shades of blue. The room is filled with comfortable seating for members of many races, many of which are clustered into conversation circles. Each chair or couch is set on repulsor pads that skid across the floor easily. The furniture is done in lovely shades of cool tones, such as blues and greens, with gray and silver accents. The soft sound of trickling water is always heard from the back of the room, where two fountains spill from the ceiling on either side of the corridor. Spilling from the fountains of the second level, the water flows down each wall and into pools that gather near the solarium window's edges. Mitali only took a brief side-jaunt to stow his leftovers before rushing to join the others in the Solarium. There was really no need to torment anyone with the scent of steak the /whole/ time. That would just be mean. That done, however, he comes to join the others with a short, sheepish noise for the delay. "Where would you like us to start?" he asks of Leia, moving towards a grouping of cushions and plunking himself down to have a seat. Zorin Pol looks a little bit deeper rather than presenting himself like an open book. Not that he isn't willing, but his natural sense of curiosity and desire for knowledge often gets the better of him. "What sort of insight is it that you are looking for, exactly? That is if you do not mind me asking. If we perhaps better knew what it is you wished to know we may be able to be of better service." First the Kel Dor removes his tattered looking brown robe and gently folds it. He places it next to a particular pillow and then adopts a meditative stance as he rests on his knees. Zorin Pol's hands go to his knees. Leia takes her time to go with the others to the Solarium, and she takes a moment to center herself in the calm environment, closing her eyes for that instant necessary. By the time she opens her eyes again, Mitali has returned, and she chuckles and says, "Thank you for not making my stomach rumble any longer," but it's plain she's mildly teasing the officer turned padawan. When Zorin presents his request, her brow furrows, and she thinks about the best way to answer. "Actually, insight /is/ what I'm looking for," she answers. "There isn't anything specific I'm looking for, other than to increase my understanding of the smaller picture as well as the larger one, how the events affected people who are not in the forefront. Official reports will only tell me what happened to fleets and battle lines. They rarely tell me what happened in the trenches, as it were." "Well... Zorin was there before Master Skywalker and I arrived," Mitali admits, glancing over to the Kel Dor as he folds his hands in his lap. They may as well address things in some semblance of order, right? "So I suppose we could start with what he experienced, and carry on from there?" Zorin nods slowly, as though still struggling to understand Leia's meaning. He senses that she doesn't simply want a rehash of the already available military reports, full of tactical verbage and statistics. The padawan mulls over his answer in his mind and then gently reaching out to tug on the strings binding the force to everything. "The results of the battle have been devastating to the planet. Not quite catastrophic but detrimental all the same. Ultimately the damage sustained at the shipyards won't delay things for too long .. but the small populace of the planet will be in a reconstruction period that will have repercussions in the planet far into the future." Somewhere inside the Kel Dor wonders if the colonies will survive, but then he dismisses the idea as he arrives at a second point. "The planet has become a sort of .. bastion." A poor choice of words, but appropriate all the same. "Despite the losses of life and resources, the victory instills a strong sense of hope. As the last line of defense against the Empire, the fortifications held. A confidence that has been lacking since the Blitz is sure to return." Zorin Pol breaths out gently. "Both tactically .. and otherwise .. I sense an opportunity for momentum. I believe you will find that many of your generals and admirals agree." There is another pause as Zorin takes a breath, "Our fleet was well prepared and expertly lead. Our ground forces were not so lucky, at first. There is no doubt of the victory, no question. It is both a tactical and moral victory." Leia listens patiently and intently to what Zorin has to say, nodding at appropriate intervals, and it seems that the Kel Dor's offering is exactly the sort of thing she was wanting to hear in general, things about the people and the impact of the battle. "I'm glad it has inspired them," she replies after a few moments. "I'll want to double-check on environmental damages as well as the people themselves. There are rarely bloodless fights," she adds, regret lacing her voice, deep regret, "but hopefully others will take their example and use it to increase their own morale. We certainly can't rest on our laurels. Thank you." And then she turns to Mitali and quirks her brows inquisitively. "What did you see?" "I'm afraid my observations won't be quite so... deep," Mitali notes, for lack of a better word. "Though I will say that I do agree with all of what Zorin said. It may have been a brutal victory, but it /was/ a victory, and our people seem to be treating it as such." Thoughtfully, the Mirialan ruffles a hand back over his hair, lips drawn back into a thin line. "The World Devastators that we assisted with," he says after a moment, with a nod towards Luke, "are /very/ well-built, and follow the Empire's design philosophy of ruling through fear - but they share similar design flaws, as well. All it took was a handful of marines, two techs and a little bit of luck, and we were able to take control of the largest ourselves and turn it back on its creators. Miss De-Inaris might be able to tell you a bit more about how they work - she's a bit better with droids than I am." "One thing is for certain, there is an opportunity to be siezed." Zorin sounds more like a general than a Jedi. "The natural instinct will be to fall back on the habit of licking our wounds, but it's my opinion that we cannot let that happen. This is our first major victory since the end of the Blitz." The Padawan gestures. "It will renew the Republic's path. Though we must still be mindful of Malign's sith. Many things must be balanced as we continue, it will be a difficult trial for this government." "When hasn't this whole war been a trial?" Leia queries rather rhetorically with a wistful smile on her face. "But I agree. I don't think we can become complacent with one victory in the midst of all of this. The fact that these World Devastators can be so relatively easily tackled will no doubt lead the Imperials to seek out ways to stop up that breach in their armor," she continues, glancing from padawan to padawan. "I fear the next attempt we make on one won't be as easy." As if that was easy, but her point is well-made. "Of course, the Empire won't admit to its own people that they got themselves thumped soundly. But word will get out, and we'll need to capitalize on that." "We don't necessarily have to /wait/ for word to get out. We could put it out ourselves," Mitali suggests, glancing between the pair with a small smile. "All you need is a willing slicer - De-Inaris is a great one, she got into that central droid brain room like it was /nothing/ - and a clean ship to transport them somewhere. Coruscant, maybe." He shrugs his shoulders, lightly scratching his cheek with a pair of fingers. "Whatever the Republic's next move is, it needn't be an overt one. We /do/ need to give our fleet time to repair, our people time to catch their breath... but that does not mean we cannot do anything at all." "A few holes do not make a ship dead in the water, so to speak." Zorin suggests as he gathers himself and slowly comes to his feet. "I have a number of things I must attend to, so please, excuse me." The Kel Dor gathers his cloak and draws the hood low over his face. There are a number of things he must gather in preparation for a little side trip. "If you were to ask me, I am convinced that if the next few moves are carefully planned - we could have a clear end to this war." At least one of them. The Padawan does not even know where to begin with the Sith. They could very well defeat Malign, but the Jedi have been fighting the Sith for thousands of years. "Madame Organa, it was a pleasure to have met you. Mitali, Master Skywalker." Zorin offers his farewells and then quietly makes his way towards the innards of the temple to gather a few supplies before heading to his personal craft. Leia half-bows respectfully to match Zorin and his departure, and she regards both brother and newly-minted padawan for long minutes as she considers all that has been said and all that is still needing to be done. "I never said our next moves would be overt," she reminds the padawan with a twinkle in her chocolate eyes. "But they should be made. However, not all of that is within my power for much longer," she adds as she looks out the window over the Antilles Sea. "And that is as it should be." "Oh, yeah... I guess that time is coming up, innit?" Mitali actually looks a touch bewildered, but then, it /has/ been a while since he's been able to really track much of the New Republic's politics at all. Term limits were very near the bottom of his list of things to think about. He makes a thoughtful noise, shifting a bit to rest his elbows on his knees and prop his chin up in his hands. "Time really does fly." "Yes, indeed it does. It's hard to believe it's been eighteen years since I met Luke and Han and Chewie, but here we are," Leia answers with a soft chuckle for her reminiscing. Glancing at Luke's face, she confides in the padawan, "Would you believe I called Chewie a walking carpet? I don't think I've ever apologized to him for that," she adds with a frown. "I should do that the next time I see him." Mitali can't /quite/ swallow a laugh, mostly due to just how flat-out /unexpected/ the confession was. "If it's any consolation, I'm sure that if he was truly offended by it, you wouldn't still have your arms," the padawan notes, his smile going more than a little impish. "But it couldn't hurt to take him out for a steak dinner anyway." He tilts his head inquisitively, brow furrowing. "Once you're out of the Chief of State's office, what are you planning to do? Or have you decided yet?" he asks curiously, shifting a bit in his seat. Leia's stomach rumbles at the mention of a steak dinner. "I think he was afraid of me," she admits, the twinkle getting brighter. "But we /were/ in the middle of the Death Star, surrounded by Imperials, and at the time, I wasn't too keen on being rescued by a kid and a scoundrel." Her smile turns fond once more. "I haven't really decided what I'll do next. I have a suspicion I'll be spending a great deal of time here, however," she says, turning her back on the window and gesturing to the Solarium, but it's a more expansive sort of gesture, to indicate the Temple as a whole. "People think they know who I am. /I'm/ not sure I know who I am. It's past time I found out." And then she smiles again, warmly. "Just like you are doing. I'm glad you've been found again. I'm sure you were missed." "/I/ certainly missed me," Mitali admits with a quirky smile, inclining his head once more in gratitude for the warm welcome home. "And I know my family and friends did. A lot happened while I was away, though, so it's been a little..." He waggles a hand, making a little bit of a face. "...catching back up. But I'm learning to roll with it. The future and the now are far more interesting to me than the past, anyway," he says with a grin. He glances between the pair of siblings, thoughtful, before he pushes himself up to his feet. "I'm sure you'll be able to find who you are, whereever you end up looking for her," he smiles, sketching a polite bow. "I should scamper and let you two talk. Naja would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't let a brother and a sister spend a little time together." Personal Insights